Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
381. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the National Parks and Wildlife Services has ever, or will, make an application to designate lands (details supplied) as either a special area of conservation or special protection area, otherwise known collectively as Natura 2000 sites and-or a natural heritage area. [31019/23]
View answerThe selection procedure for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) follows the guidance provided by the EU Commission for the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive. An initial suite of candidate sites was put forward for consideration between 1995 and c.2010, with other sites added in subsequent years. All these sites, and the habitats and species for which they were selected, were assessed according to the criteria outlined in Annex III of the Habitats Directive. While further designations are currently being implemented in the marine environment for the Annex I habitat Reefs, no further terrestrial SACs are being considered at this time.
According to the Birds Directive, member states are required to classify the most suitable territories as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the conservation of those species listed in Annex I of the Directive and for regularly occurring migratory species. At this point in time, Ireland has been deemed to have classified sufficient SPAs to meet the requirements of the Birds Directive, apart from further designations required for marine birds. As such, no further terrestrial SPAs are being considered at this time.
A Natural Heritage Area (NHA) is a national designation covering areas of conservation value for ecological and/or geological/geomorphological heritage. NHAs are designated under the Wildlife Acts. To date, 148 sites have been legally designated as NHAs, all of which are peatland sites (blanket and raised bogs). There are currently no timelines for the designation of new NHAs. The National Parks and Wildlife Service holds information from woodland surveys undertaken in Castletown Demesne in 1999 and 2008. This survey work will be reviewed should designations of woodlands as NHAs be considered in the future.
